One-to-One Marketing, Social Media and Millennials

From Social Times:

Millennial guest blogger Julie Walsh was pleasantly surprised when she sent a tweet out to no one in particular and received a bounty that not only got her though the day — it earned the gifting brand a loyal customer. Walsh is a media relations specialist for Walker Sands. You can join her conversation on Twitter and the Walker Sands blog.

Like any other Friday afternoon, I was tired and dragging a bit. I seriously needed a caffeine boost and took to Twitter to share that need. That tweet launched me into a unique one-to-one marketing experience.

My need for caffeine was not tweeted to anyone in particular, hashtagged or a reply to someone else’s tweet. However @popchipsChicago still found it. Within 30 minutes of posting my need, I received a reply from Popchips Chicago suggesting I put some “pop” in my afternoon by having some of their chips. Soon after seeing their reply, a huge gift basket was delivered to my desk filled with every variety of Popchips and a personal note from the Popchips Chicago team. Their timing was impeccable and an effective use of social media.

I’ve been following the Popchips Chicago twitter account for about two months and they consistently do a great job of interacting with their followers to build a strong brand relationship. In this instance, their key to success was listening; they didn’t wait for someone else to start the conversation, they took the initiative to start it themselves. By responding to one person at the right time, Popchips showed how engaging one-to-one marketing can be.

The interaction between Popchips Chicago and me was personal and relevant. It made a huge impact — I will now be a loyal Popchips customer for life. For those trying to market to Millennials such as myself, take note. We love this and it is an incredibly effective way to reach us. Especially since many millenials live and breathe all things social, chances are the experience with the brand will be shared, and re-shared (just as it is now).

The truth of the matter is everyone loves to feel like they are being heard — it’s not just common among the millenials. In general, people want to feel special and noticed and one-to-one marketing meets both of those needs for everyone making it meaningful when executed successfully.